Garfield Goose and Friends theme song

"Monkey on a String" by the wonderful organist, Ethel Smith. Great Hammond tone.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Chicago
• TV
• television
• theme
• songs
• Garfield
• Goose
• and
• Friends
• Frazier
• Thomas
• Romberg
• Rabbit
• MacIntosh
• Mouse
• Grandma
• Monkey
• on
• String
• Ethel
• Smith
• Hammond
• Organ

[artdecolv]

I grew up with Garfield Goose, but have a question. Are you sure this is Ethel Smith playing the organ? I'm curious as to what your source is. Thanks...

[AmosNomore]

artdecolv, I am sure it is she. I believe I purchased the song (Monkey on a String) from iTunes.

[AmosNomore]

By the way, do you think this is a Hammond she is playing or some other organ?

[vinylsingleman]

Thanks! I was just bthinking about it and trying to remember how this show's theme went.

[AmosNomore]

I conjured it up from time to time over the decades by whistling "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and the Romper Room theme song for a few minutes - the Garfield Goose song would always emerge.

[AmosNomore]

Correction - the Captain Kangaroo theme song, not Romper Room. Oh, the ravages of time!

[rebth1st]

"Hot dogs, hamburgers, spaghetti and meat balls."

[46619TAB]

I grew up with Garfield. We need him and his friends back, the kids today are lost,

[kenroar]

I spent a long time looking for old Garfield Goose episodes on DVD or VHS and had no luck. I then called WGN and was disappointed to hear they don't exist - and they never will exist because they reused all the film they used when they filmed it to save money. Think of the money they could have made now if they hadn't done this. I'm convinced most baby boomers from Chicagoland would buy a set if they existed!

[kjchicago1]

I remember this tune from Frazier Thomas & Garfield Goose was on WGN-TV from 1954-1976

[ayokay123]

@tommiecoughlin Attention seekers. This piece is pure unadulterated childhood....especially if you're from Chicago.

It would have been fun to watch her playing this with the orchestra.

[neatoauctions]

Do you remember once per year they'd show what Garfield Goose looked like in whole? Kids would write in wanting to see Garfield from the feet up. So every 12 months or so they'd show some sort of contrived illustrated artistic rendition of a duck with a crown, for ONE-TEN-THOUSANDTH of a second !!!

[Albert52h]

Whether Ms. Smith (who was also Mrs. Howard Keel for a short time) is playing one of the "first" Hammond Organs, that I could not tell you.

[vividwatch47]

@Albert52h, was that one of the first Hammond organs that Ethel Smith playing?

[mjcamck]

Posting appreciated. Actually, it keeps me from feeling quite so middle-aged since I, immediately, recognized the tune. Like countless others, we watched every day after school. Great fun, positive values. Thank you Frasier Thomas & Everyone Connected. Best Wishes to ALL.

[tommiecoughlin]

how could anyone give a thumbs down to this tune?....they couldn't have been from Shecoggo.

[HassoBenSoba]

This delightful (and sophisticated) tune was written by Hungarian composer Denes Agay (1912-2007). He fled Hitler in 1939, emigrated to America, served in the Army during WWII, taught, wrote 96 books on music, worked with popular artists, etc. "Monkey on a String" was written for Ethel's 1950 Decca album "Ethel Smith's Toy Parade". My brother and I always hoped that the Garfield Goose closing theme would run long, so that we could hear the lovely, sentimental waltz-section (at 0:55).